Jon Isaacs Leaving OLCV

One of the state's top political operatives is on the move again. Jon Isaacs, currently the executive director of the Oregon League of Conservation Voters informed his board this week that he will depart the environmental group to join Grant Park Strategies, the burgeoning political consulting firm founded by Josh Kardon, the former chief of staff to U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).

Isaacs ran FuturePac, the Oregon House Democrats' political operation, when Democrats retook the House in 2007 after 16 years in the minority. Isaacs then ran then-House Speaker Jeff Merkley (D-Portland)'s succesful 2008 U.S. Senate campaign and briefly worked as Merkley's state director before taking the helm at OLCV in August 2009.

Isaacs has raised OLCV's profile in Salem and around the state. The group took an ambitious agenda to Salem this session and has played an important role in a bottle bill expansion, but seen the failure of a top priority, the attempt to ban the chemical BPA in children's products fail.

"Jon's predecessor, Jonathan Poisner took a very small organization and built it up," says OLCV board chairman Stephen Kafoury. "Jon Isaacs took the organization to the next level in terms of fundraising and political difference. He's made an amazing difference."